Tag: The Company We Keep

Australia – Experiential marketing agency The Company We Keep (The CWK) has been acquired by Opus Agency, a global events and experiential marketing agency, in a move that strengthens Opus Agency’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region. 

With offices in Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand, and a team of more than 80, The CWK adds regional expertise to Opus Agency, supporting its ability to manage events and brand experiences across international markets.

With this acquisition, Opus Agency, part of The Opus Group, expands its presence in key international markets. Partnering with The CWK broadens its capabilities in event execution and experiential marketing, supporting brands in delivering cross-border initiatives and engaging with their audiences more effectively.

Speaking on the acquisition, Nigel Ruffell, founder and CEO of The CWK, commented, “The alignment between Opus Agency and The CWK is remarkable—from our shared clients like Salesforce to our creative capabilities and our cultural ethos. This partnership opens up new opportunities for our team, our clients, and our future, as we continue to lead in the APAC region while contributing to Opus Agency’s global success.” 

Moving forward, Opus Agency and The CWK will work together to develop event and experiential marketing strategies for international audiences. By combining client relationships, scalable talent, and regional expertise, the partnership aims to support brands in navigating cross-border engagements and evolving market demands.

Dena Lowery, president of Opus Agency, explained, “This acquisition enables us to better serve our clients in the world’s fastest-growing and largest cities, while also enhancing our capabilities with deeper expertise in content, broadcast, and film. It’s a strategic move that strengthens our ability to deliver high-impact, future-forward experiences across the globe.” 

Kim Kopetz, president and CEO of The Opus Group, also shared, “This acquisition aligns with The Opus Group’s mission to provide global access to scalable resources and specialised talent across our network of brands. It enables us to navigate complex challenges and scale operations efficiently while creating new growth opportunities for our clients and our team members around the world.”

Singapore – Full sensory experience agency The Company We Keep (The CWK) has expanded its SEA team and offerings with the addition of Tam Xu as project director and Nicole Pow and Deon Tan as project managers.

In her new role, Xu will spearhead the delivery of bespoke projects for clients across the SEA region. She will nurture and train the team of producers that will be based on the newly-opened Singapore hub to ensure a stellar production powerhouse.

Xu will also be responsible for day-to-day project management across multiple departments, ensuring operational and financial discipline, delivery excellence, and resource optimisation.

Prior to her appointment at The CWK, she played a pivotal role in setting up the events and project management teams from scratch at MOI Global. As an event director, she led a growing team to manage end-to-end event planning and execution, building strong client relationships with companies such as Fujifilm, Google Cloud, Oracle, Red Hat, and UBS.

Meanwhile, in their new roles as project managers, Pow and Tan will be overseeing the CWK projects within the Singapore hub.

Pow, who brings with her 8 years of experience managing various events ranging from conferences, meetings, award ceremonies, and travel incentives, will also leverage her tech-savvy expertise in her new role.

On the other hand, Tan will take on a social and creative-heavy role. She brings 10 years of experience across events, sales, and marketing.

With the opening of the agency’s Singapore office earlier this year, they are now officially in operations and are working with clients such as Credit Suisse, WalkMe, Salesforce, and DocuSign.

Victor Darmawan, business director for Asia at The CWK, said, “I am incredibly excited about Tam, Nicole, and Deon joining the company, and I look forward to working closely with them to elevate Singapore as the next hub for The CWK. Together, we will continue to provide world-class service to our clients, fostering growth and success.”

Nigel Ruffell, CEO at The CWK, also shared, “The addition of Tam, Nicole, and Deon to our growing team is a testament to The Company We Keep’s remarkable success in the SEA region. Each of them brings a wealth of invaluable experience that will undoubtedly enhance our capabilities across APAC. With our expanding team and reinforced presence, we’re embarking on an exciting journey filled with limitless opportunities, and we eagerly anticipate the amazing work they will do.”

Meanwhile, commenting on her new role, Xu said, “The CWK has an envious reputation, and I’m thrilled to be part of the SEA team during an exciting growth phase. Together with Victor, I look forward to scaling new heights, building a team, and achieving new milestones for The CWK’s Singapore Hub.”

Australia – The Company We Keep (the CWK), Australia-based independent marketing specialist for events and brand experiences, has expanded its Sydney team with the appointment of Stu Hipwell as its new executive creative director. Alongside Hipwell, it also onboards Animator William Gembitsky. 

The new appointments are announced as The CWK prepares to celebrate its 5th anniversary. Recently, the agency has opened an office in Singapore. 

Nigel Ruffell, CEO of The CWK, said, “This success and the expansion of our team is a testament to the company’s people-driven approach, which prioritises collaboration and understanding of clients’ challenges to deliver innovative experiences.” 

Hipwell, the new ECD, is an award-winning cartoonist and qualified innovation facilitator. The CWK looks to strengthen its creative side by championing full sensory experiences “that connect emotionally with the audience while aligning with business objectives through data-led insights,” it said, 

On Hipwell’s appointment, Ruffell commented, “Stu’s vast experience, over 30 years, and passion for creative storytelling make him a great asset to our team. His expertise in various creative disciplines, including branding, events, social media, content, packaging, way-finding, and store design, will help us deliver even more exceptional experiences for our clients.” 

The agency’s new animator William Gembitsky, meanwhile, brings to the agency their experience in motion design, including social branding, hype reels, and animated music videos, which will help The CWK deliver efficient content production. 

“We’re excited to have Will on board. Their passion for animation is infectious and we can’t wait to see what they will bring to the table,” Ruffell added. 

According to the agency, the appointment of Hipwell and Gembitsky is part of a wider recruitment process that has seen it expand its production team through the addition of three new project managers/coordinators.

Just this March, the company’s expansion to Singapore also had it naming Victor Darmawan as its director of business. Darmawan will be running the new local office.

Singapore – Australian large-scale marketing events specialist and brand experience creator The Company We Keep (The CWK) has announced its expansion to the Southeast Asian market, marking its presence with a new office in Singapore. It has also appointed Victor Darmawan to be its director of business, and will run the new local office.

Through the new expansion, The CWK will establish with its foundation clients Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, and Docusign, and will ensure the company to be able to service the whole Asia-Pacific region with a local team of producers supported by the wider advanced capabilities of the Australian team, composed of more than 50 people.

With 16 years of experience working in agencies across Singapore and Indonesia, Darnawan will initially be supported by two producers and coordinators locally, with other project aspects such as digital, creative, and design being serviced from Australia.

Speaking on his appointment, he said, “I’m so excited to be part of the launch team for The CWK – Singapore. The business already has a globally recognised list of clients, being able to now provide on-the-ground local event support, while leveraging the skill set and expertise of the existing Australian team members, means we can expand those partnerships, and in time, further build our international portfolio.”

Meanwhile, Nigel Ruffell, CEO at The CWK, commented, “Local knowledge is imperative for what we do for our clients. We have always partnered with trusted local preferred suppliers and contractors in these regions, and they have always guided and advised us on local nuances and differences.” 

He added, “Having an office in Singapore solidifies this, giving us a community hub and a competitive edge in the area. We are incredibly fortunate to have already built so much expertise in the region via our Australian team, and see the Singapore office as an evolution of this.”

The expansion of The CWK into SEA is part of the company’s planned expansion this 2023. Since its establishment in 2019, the company has grown to 50 employees and spans two continents, with expansion into the US slated as the next step for the business.